Hot Shot Problem Pilot
by alwaysbringback-up
Summary: Jane is Maura's hot shot problem pilot. With Jane's sarcasm, and Maura's by the book personality, what could possibly go wrong? Rizzles! Not sure what to label it. A lot lighter than my other stuff, I promise!


Title: **Hot Shot Problem Pilot**

Category: TV Shows » Rizzoli & Isles  
Author: Alwaysbringback-up  
Language: English, Rating: Rated: T  
Genre: General

**Pairing:** Jane/Maura

Disclaimer: I don't own any part of the R&I universe. All characters belong to Tess Gerritsen and Janet Tamaro. I promise that my writing is done purely for recreational purposes only. No ill harm is intended.

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**A/N: What!? What is this? Another story? Okay, so I know I shouldn't be posting anything else, but this is going to be just a fun AU story, inspired by some comments about Jane as Maura's hot shot problem pilot that I saw on this site. I wrote it in about two hours, so I can't attest to how good it's going to be. For all I know, it could be complete crap. Just...Please give it a read and let me know what you think!**

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Jane seemed completely unfazed by the way the windows rattled in their frames, as a deafening roar filled the air over-head from CT-43s and C130s landing to drop off cargo. F22s also filled the air as various air groups ran drills overhead. It was a common occurrence at the air base she had worked and lived at for almost six months now.

It was her third tour. She'd completed one in Afghanistan, one in Iraq, and was working on completing her third tour now.

Jane took a puff of her cigar, her eyes flickering over her opponent's faces as she tried to decipher their poker hands through analyzing their various expressions. Facial expressions were crucial, but so was body language. The truth is, that everyone had a-tell, one thing that makes him or her as transparent as a pane of flawless glass. And Jane was good at exploiting every one of their weaknesses.

"I fold," three people around the table, announced as they tossed their cards onto the table unceremoniously. So far, so good.

"I'm out," her best friend, Second Lieutenant Barold Frost announced from next to her as he dropped his cards to the table.

"Oh come on," Jane pouted as she blew out the smoke that was starting to burn her lungs. She licked her lips, and savored the flavor of the cigar. "Frost! You can't give up on me now!"

"Actually, I can," he smiled. "You've taken me for nearly all I have, and now I have to think about saving what I _do_ have left. Otherwise, Anna might very well _kill_ me when I get stateside."

"Luck always changes, partner," Jane said as she picked up a glass of amber liquid and took a healthy swig. "Plus…you know, you've got to live a little?"

"I'll watch," Frost agreed, "But I'm not playing another hand. No matter how many times you look at me with those big puppy dog eyes of yours." Jane nodded. Jane's eyes caught Rusek's as his forefinger twitched while he held the cards to the table. He stared straight back at her, without flinching. She knew he probably had a good hand, but hers was better. She was going to take him for everything he had. It didn't matter that he was her boss. No. What mattered was that the man was a prick! She refused to feel any remorse for a man that made her life a living hell.

Jane nearly sputtered as she watched Rusek push his chips the center of the table. The man had gone all in. "I match your bet, and raise you everything I have," he said finally. Jane swallowed nervously, clearing her throat as she looked down at the cards in front of her. She was the only one left between Rusek and another one of his absurd victories. Jane drained all of the liquid from her cup, deciding she needed the courage. Then with one hand, she pushed everything into the middle.

"Call," Jane said simply.

"All right, let's see it," Airman first Class, Lewis Jacobs demanded. Jane watched as Rusek laid all five cards on the table. There were a few impressed expressions on the faces of the others at the table, and a few skeptical ones.

"Sorry, Rizzoli," Rusek sneered, "guess you're going to go away with nothing again."

"Not so fast, old man," Jane sniped, as she threw her cards down on the table. "Flush. I. Win."

"That's impossible," Rusek's eyes flashed. She could tell he was more than a little intoxicated. "You… You must have cheated."

"No," Jane said resolutely as she tugged at her nonexistent sleeves. "You see?…the only one at this table who has sleeves long enough to cheat at this table, is you. So you might want to rethink that accusation again, Lieutenant Colonel."

Rusek jumped up, "Why you insubordinate little…"

"I just call it like it is, _sir_," Jane hissed. Then she brought up something she knew would strike a nerve. "So do tell me, how are your AA meetings going? They give you a chip, yet? Oh…wait… you have to stop drinking in order to get one, don't you?" And Rusek launched himself at her, knocking over the table in his eagerness to reach her. Jane grunted as the two of them hit the floor. She gritted her jaw against itself as he hit her once in the jaw and once in the eye.

"You're a crazy bitch, you know that?!" Rusek spat, "If anyone in the academy had had any brains about them, you would have been booted out of the academy before you even started! I always told your C.O. that you had too much of a head about you. You're always determined to do things your own way." Jane lashed out, seeing red and struck him in the nose. She took pleasure in the crunching noise that she heard, as it broke.

"You're the one that started this fight in the first place, asshole," Jane spat. As two people finally pulled Rusek off of her, Frost helped her to her feet.

"I'll have your ass now, Rizzoli," he threatened, "You'll see." Frost and a woman Jane knew better as "Kit Kat," which was her call-sign in the air, latched onto Jane's arms, straining to hold back the lean muscular tanned woman, currently dressed in a perfectly tight, white tank, camouflage cargo pants, and shiny black boots. Her untamed black raven hair was as wild and unrestrained as her chocolate brown eyes.

"Y-You wouldn't!" Jane shouted.

"Take her to the brig!" he ordered. "Now!"

"But, sir," a tentative voice spoke. But the second Rusek glared at this person, their jaw snapped shut.

"Let me go," Jane ordered Frost. "I'm not going to go after him, so just…let me go, okay? I can walk under my own power." Frost studied Jane's expression for a long moment but then dropped his hands, satisfied by what he saw. Kit-Kat did the same.

"Come on, partner," he said softly, "Let's go. I'll walk with you." Jane nodded and they headed in the direction of the brig, all the while, the constant sound of jets could be heard overhead.

Jane pulled her aviator sunglasses from her pants pocket and slipped them on.

She could feel the warm rays of the sun across her face, and the heat diffusing from the sand into the air around her body. Sweat pooled at her temples, neck and shoulders, and slowly collected at the base of her back. It was hot, but fortunately it was a dry heat that you got used to. And she supposed that you got used to the sand too. Not that you really had a choice in the matter. After all, they were sort of in the middle of the freaking desert. With a sigh, Jane wiped the sweat from her brow with the bottom of her shirt, exposing a flawless midsection, full of perfectly defined external oblique abdominal and rectus abdominals muscles. Her eyes darted to Frost, who was walking beside her without a word. Jane raised her brow as if to say, "What now?"

"You shouldn't have done that, Jane?" he said softly. Jane merely chuckled. "I mean…I can try to talk to Korsak and see if there's a way out of this, but I'm not sure either of us will be able to do much."

"He was asking for it, Frost! I mean…you saw!" she sputtered. Then she added. "He's an asshole," under her breath.

"You know, he's actually a decent guy, Jane, okay?" Frost sighed. "He's had to deal with a lot lately."

"Oh?" Jane seemed genuinely surprised.

"Yeah," Frost swallowed. "He lost his wife and daughter, while he was deployed here during his first tour."

"You're joking," Jane said, daring him to tell her differently.

"You think I'd lie about something like that?" Frost said with a smirk, "Jane, I'm offended."

"This coming from the master of exaggeration, himself?" Jane laughed.

"In all seriousness, though," Frost suddenly said very seriously. "It's true."

"Christ," she whispered, looking suddenly guilty. "He…He never told me that," Jane said wearily. "I wonder why he never said anything."

"Can you blame him?" Frost laughed. "Jane, I hate to break this to you, but you're fairly unapproachable. In fact, if there was some sort of award for that sort of thing, I'm pretty sure you'd have it in the bag."

"Oww!" he winced as she smacked him in the back of the head.

"Well, you and I are good friends, aren't we?" Jane asked in a cracked voice.

"Of course!" Frost replied. "But you've been different ever since…" Frost swallowed his words as he saw the look on Jane's face and saw the way she was wringing her hands. "We're here," he said softly. Together they walked inside.

"Second class Lt. Barold Frost," he saluted. "I was told to escort Lt. Rizzoli, here, to the brig."

"Yes, we've already heard." Joseph Grant said, returning the salute. Much to Jane's surprise, he didn't look the slightest bit amused. "Come with me, Rizzoli." Jane made to follow him, but not before she shot Frost a sizeable eye roll. He shook his head, trying to hold back the laugh. It was all fun and games for Jane Rizzoli, that is, until someone got hurt.

Jane's footsteps echoed down the hallway as they locked into a room with several cells. One of the cells was empty and the other was occupied.

'_Well, at least I'm not the only one in here_,' Jane thought to herself.

"So when are we going to stop meeting like this, Lieutenant?" he asked as he opened the first cell. "Don't you think you could just try to keep your nose clean for a little while?"

"And miss out on these very special chances to see you, Joey?" Jane spoke with sarcasm. "No way." She walked into the cell, and he slid the door shut behind him. But he didn't leave right away. Instead he stood there for a long minute, just looking at her.

"You know if you really wanted to see me this badly," he teased back, "you could have just stopped by for a chat. You don't…you know…have to necessarily punch people." Joey was proud of himself when this earned a deep-throated heart warming laugh from the Italian woman he'd known since he was little.

"You could just admit you miss me too, you know," she teased. "I mean…I wouldn't tell anybody. I…I might hold it against you though." He just shook his head and laughed.

"Of course you'd hold it against me frog face," he called her by her nickname.

"You're never gonna give up on that, are you?" she asked.

"Nope."

"Oh, come on," Jane pleaded, "When?"

"Okay," he smiled. "I'll make you a deal. When you stop starting fights, I'll stop calling you frog face. Deal?"

"I didn't start it!" Jane protested. "Rusek is the one who…"

"Uh uh uh," Joey shook his head, "Save it, Janie. You know how it is. It's best to keep your head down, and your mouth shut." Jane shut her mouth, then nodded.

"Good girl," he smiled. "Hey," he said, "Is there anything I can get you?"

"Maybe a book to read or somethin' ," Jane shrugged. "And maybe some smokes?"

"Hasn't anyone told you that those things can kill you?" he asked with waggling eyebrows.

"So can bullets, plane crashes, bombs, arterial fire," Jane started listing all of the things that she had to deal with on a daily basis in Iraq. "Need I go on?"

"Okay, okay," Joey muttered finally, conceding defeat. "You win. I…I'll see what I can do," he promised.

When she was left alone to her own devices, she laid down the floor, wedging the toes of her boots underneath the lowest bars. She put her hands behind her head, and started her sit-up regimen.

"1….2….3….4….5….6"

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Captain Maura Isles, let out a deep sigh as she leant back against the metal back plate, in the back of a Blackhawk helicopter. She was minutes away from completing the last leg of her journey, and arriving on base, to meet her CO and get her new air group assignments. She felt a fair amount of excitement, as well as an equal amount of dread. Things hadn't gone so well with her last assignment. And in hindsight, she realized that maybe she'd expected too much from them. They'd gotten burned out rather quickly, and subsequently came to resent her. She tried to shrug off the nicknames they had called her. "Ice Queen" being one of many. She knew it was meant to insinuate that she was cold and unfeeling, but it wasn't her fault that she didn't wear her heart on her sleeve for everyone else to see. I mean… It was the armed forces for crying out loud. You don't want to show any weakness.

With the back of her hand, Maura reached up to brush a strand of hair from her eyes. She could hear chatter through the earmuff headphones clamped over her ears, and feel the hot breeze against her exposed face and neck. The reckoned that only way it could get any hotter, would be if there were more humidity, but mercifully, with it being the desert and all, she was at least spared that much. She continued to analyze her surroundings.

Carefully, Maura leant towards the open door, and looked down. The base was in sight now, and it appeared that things were fairly quiet on the ground as well.

Within five minutes, they were on the ground. Maura released the buckle, and eased the harness over her hips and shoulders. She quickly pulled off her headphones, and deposited them in their proper place before grabbing her duffel, and hopping out of the helicopter. She could see that she'd already gathered a small welcoming party.

Maura threw the duffel over her shoulder and hurried towards the ranking officer.

"Welcome, Captain Isles!" he greeted with a quick salute. Maura dropped her duffel bag and gave a perfectly executed one in return.

"Thank you, Commander Cavanaugh," Maura greeted. "It's a pleasure to be here."

"This is Lieutenant Colonel Vince Korsak," Sean said as he made an indicating gesture towards an older man next to him.

"Sir," Maura greeted with a smile, and a salute. She was surprised when he laughed and held out his hand.

"Please. There's no need to be so formal, Captain. It's a pleasure to finally meet you," Korsak greeted as he waited for her to accept. "I've heard lots of good things about you. Your reputation precedes you." She looked at his hand for a moment, baffled by the gesture. Finally, she stopped analyzing and took his outstretched hand, giving it a healthy confident shake before releasing it.

"So," Cavanaugh said a moment later, "Shall we get to it? I'm sure you're anxious to get your assignments and get going."

"Of course, sir," Maura nodded. "Lead the way." Maura followed closely behind, walking with her hands clasped behind her back, taking in her surroundings as they headed into a large tent near the helipad.

As Maura's eyes raked over the list containing the names composing her air group only minutes later, she worried her bottom lip with her teeth. It was impressive list to be sure. She recognized many of the names on the list. Many of them had received multiple commendations and awards, amassed during previous tours.

"I have to say, I'm quite impressed," Maura said as she set the paper down on the table, and glanced towards an anxious looking Cavanaugh. "If their qualifications are any indication of their actual skill, I think it's safe to say you've made my job quite easy, sir." Cavanaugh's response to this was laughter. And Maura's response was a raised brow.

"You didn't see the name at the bottom of the list, did you?" Cavanaugh questioned. Maura quickly picked up the list, her eyes searching for the name at the very bottom. When her eyes fell onto the name recorded in plain black and white script taking up the last spot, her heart stopped. It was a name she knew all too well. She suddenly couldn't breathe. The last she heard, Lieutenant Jane Rizzoli had been missing in action, presumed dead. And now she was finding out that Jane was very much alive. In fact, Jane was now in her air group.

"Surely you aren't referring to Lieutenant Rizzoli?" Maura questioned. "She hardly seems…"

"That girl has been a thorn in the side of every one of her commanding officer's," Sean informed her. "More so since…" He seemed to catch what he was about to say and trailed off.

"Surely there must be some sort of mistake," Maura said softly. "I knew her once. She hardly seemed poorly behaved. In fact, she was brilliant in the cockpit. I'd never seen anyone fly quite so mesmerizingly in all of my years in the service. Hell, she might even be _better_ than me in the cockpit."

"Oh!" Sean said quickly. "Don't get me wrong. Jane Rizzoli is an excellent pilot, a true artist in the air. She's the best there is in the cockpit. It's when she's not in the cockpit that you have to worry about."

"Oh," Maura's brow furrowed. "I see."

"Just think of her as your hot shot problem pilot, Captain Isles," Korsak teased. "But I have a feeling that if anyone can tame the wild, impetuous Jane Rizzoli, it's you."

Maura cleared her throat uncomfortably. She wasn't sure what he was implying exactly.

"Sir, would it be a terrible inconvenience to gather my group together, so that I might address them as their Commanding officer?" Maura said in a formal request.

"Of course not," Sean Cavanaugh replied. "It's already been done." Then. "I'm afraid that you'll be missing one, as Lieutenant Rizzoli is currently holed up in the brig. But perhaps Lieutenant Colonel Korsak could lead you to the brig so that you might pick up Lieutenant Rizzoli on your way to the barracks." Korsak nodded and stood.

"That would be very much appreciated," Maura said as she transitioned from her straight-backed posture in the chair, to one while she was standing. "Thank you, sir."

"You let me know if you run into any problems, Captain," Sean said as he stood to shake Maura's hand. Maura shook it and offered him a polite smile before departing.

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By the time Joseph Grant led Maura and Korsak to Jane's cell minutes later, Jane was well into her push up regimen.

Maura's heart stopped. It _was_ Jane. Jane was _alive_. Maura's throat suddenly burned as she combated the urge to cry. You didn't show emotion in the army, as it was always seen as a sign of weakness.

Maura felt her stomach lurch at the way the muscles in Jane's arms and shoulders tightened with each push up. There was no question. Jane's physique was exceptional. The raven-haired woman made it all seem so effortless. The only sign that Jane was doing any work at all were the soft spurts of breath that passed between Jane's lips with each repetition.

Jane jolted upwards to a standing position as she realized for the first time that she wasn't alone. Jane quickly shifted to a tension as she waited to be addressed, swallowing thickly as she realized that she knew the immaculately put together woman in front of her all too well. She never thought that she'd see this woman again. She fought the urge to speak her name.

Jane's eyes quickly fell onto Maura's nametag and ranking. She wasn't surprised to see that Maura had recently gotten a promotion.

"Captain Isles," Jane rasped with a tone of formality. She felt suddenly embarrassed by her haphazard appearance. A trail of sweat was currently working its way down her face. Her arms and legs were streaked with dirt, and sweat.

"At ease, Lieutenant," Maura said with a quirk of a smile. "And so it would appear that we meet again." Maura held out her hand. Jane looked at the hand for several long moments, sizing up the woman in front of her. She knew that Maura wasn't one to shake hands, and wondered if it was some sort of ploy. She searched Maura's face carefully for any sign of emotion, and naturally, she found none. Puzzled hazel brows stared back at her.

God, she missed the woman staring back at her. Jane had to remind herself that she didn't know this woman anymore. Captain Maura Isles might as well be a complete stranger.

Before her was a freaking legend.

Jane looked down to her own, gloved hands. She always wore gloves nowadays, mainly to hide the two puckers on each palm that did plenty to remind of her own vulnerabilities every time that she glanced at them.

Tentatively, Jane reached out and took Maura's hand, giving it a decisive shake. She clenched her jaw to hide the spike of pain that shot up her forearm at the motion.

"It's a pleasure to meet you again, sir," Jane said, her formality now shielding an overwhelming torrent of emotions.

"Why am I not surprised to find you in the brig?" Maura said with a quirk of a smile. Her eyes were warm and filled with humor as she held Jane's chocolate brown ones.

"Uh," Jane shrugged, "Old habits die hard, I guess."

"I have to say that I expect better behavior from anyone in my air group, Lieutenant," Maura said with a hint of reprimand. "Behavior such as the kind that resulted in your winding up here won't be tolerated. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, sir," Jane nodded. "Understood. It won't happen again."

Jane let out a breath she didn't realize that she'd been holding, as Maura motioned for Joseph Grant to unlock the cell. With a loud clank, and a squeaking of metal, the door slid open. Jane gave Joseph a dimpled smile while Maura wasn't looking.

"Now," Maura said tersely, "If you wouldn't mind following me, Lieutenant, we have a briefing to get to." Jane nodded, following quickly after Maura who was already walking away from her in brisk steps. "And you should know, Lieutenant. I don't slow down for anybody." Jane let out an internal groan. Boy, it was going to be a long six months.

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_**A/N: So that's it for now! Please review! **_


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